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Good morning!
The iconic Sea Oats Motel in Destin has been acquired and will undergo renovations, opening a new chapter for one of the area’s most beloved properties. Destin High School named Jill McNamara as its new principal as Dr. Diane Kelley retired. Megan Mueller was named assistant principal of Meigs Middle School, and a driver was found guilty of DUI manslaughter in the crash that killed a Fort Walton Beach lab tech. Also, four open houses this weekend in Niceville, today’s Jigsaw is “Stillness on Shoal River,” and today’s weather outlook.
SCHOOL
Megan Mueller named assistant principal of Meigs Middle School
The Okaloosa County School Board voted unanimously on Monday night to approve Megan Mueller as the next assistant principal of Meigs Middle School.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers brought the recommendation to the board. He pointed out that cheerleaders had turned out for the meeting, which he said was a first for this kind of process. “How fantastic is that?” he said.
Mueller is a product of the Okaloosa County School District where she attended Mary Esther Elementary School, Bruner Middle School and Fort Walton Beach High School. According to Chambers, the relationships she built as a student inspired her to return to the area and go into education. She taught science at Niceville High School and Fort Walton Beach High School before becoming a secondary science instructional coach.
“I look forward to serving our students and community, supporting our staff, and working together to build on the strong foundation already in place at Meigs Middle School,” she said. “I believe we can accomplish anything through strong teamwork and a collective effort. I’m ready to level up our A-game. Go Wildcats.”
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GAMES
WordroW: July 30, 2026
WordroW is brought to you by Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic – keeping your mind sharp and your spine aligned, one game at a time.
Can you guess today’s 5-letter word in six tries?
WordroW is Get The Coast’s daily word puzzle featuring local words, places, and phrases from our community. You have six guesses to find the mystery word – green letters are correct and in the right spot, yellow letters are in the word but wrong position, and gray letters aren’t in the word at all.
NEWS
Driver found guilty of DUI manslaughter in crash that killed Fort Walton Beach lab tech
A Fort Walton Beach man was found guilty on Tuesday of DUI manslaughter and DUI causing serious bodily injury for a 2023 crash that killed a beloved local lab technician and left a passenger in his truck permanently disabled.
- Benjamin David Raser was found guilty July 28 after a two-day trial, according to the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida.
The crash happened at about 9 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2023. Investigators determined Raser was driving a Ford F-150 north on Wright Parkway in Fort Walton Beach at an estimated 60 to 70 mph in a posted 30 mph zone. As he approached the intersection of Wright Parkway and Holmes Boulevard, Raser failed to stop at the four-way stop, investigators said.
Raser’s vehicle entered the intersection and struck the driver’s side of a four-door sedan driven by 52-year-old Demetrius Thomas. The impact pinned Thomas inside his vehicle, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner testified that Thomas died from significant blunt force trauma and internal bleeding.
Raser’s passenger, Garrett LeBlanc, survived but suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries that left him permanently disabled. Raser was not injured.
SCHOOL
Dr. Diane Kelley retires after more than 45 years in Okaloosa County education
Dr. Diane Kelley is retiring after more than 45 years in education, closing a career that began in Okaloosa County classrooms in 1979 and ended in the principal’s office at Destin High School.
Kelley, who has led the tuition-free public charter school since 2024, said stepping away was less about leaving a job than answering what she described as another calling.
“Retirement wasn’t about leaving something I loved. It was about embracing another calling,” Kelley said. Her husband, Dr. Bill Smith, retired in February from the Okaloosa County School District, and she said the couple wants to spend more time with their children and their grandson, who enters kindergarten this year. “After devoting more than four decades to caring for other families, I’m looking forward to investing more time with my own.”
Her service spanned 36 years in the Okaloosa County school system as a teacher, principal and district administrator, six years on the Okaloosa County School Board from 2018 to 2024, and her time leading Destin High since 2024.
“For over 45 years, I had the extraordinary privilege of serving students and their leaders in one capacity or another,” she said. “They, and their stories, changed my life far more than I could ever change theirs, and for that, I will forever be grateful. It has been the honor of a lifetime.”
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SCHOOL
Destin High School names Jill McNamara as new principal
Destin High School has named Jill McNamara its new principal and Matt Means its new assistant principal, the school announced, as Dr. Diane Kelley retires from the top job after a 45-year career in public education.
The school’s Governing Board of Directors appointed both leaders unanimously. The two signed commitment letters at a press conference in the Shark Tank, an event the school billed as a leadership “signing day.”
McNamara was recommended by Executive Director Dr. Willy Williams and endorsed by Kelley. Means, who was promoted from within, will serve as assistant principal.
GAMES
Jigsaw – “Stillness on Shoal River”
WordroW is brought to you by Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic – keeping your mind sharp and your spine aligned, one game at a time.
Ready for this week’s Jigsaw puzzle?
Each week, we use local pictures from around Okaloosa County as part of our puzzles. They’ll include current dated photos to historical ones.
This week…we head to Shoal River in Crestview where my nephew Kameron Williams has been putting his wildlife photography skills to good use over the summer break!
REAL ESTATE
4 Open Houses this weekend in Niceville
Niceville’s housing market continues to attract buyers looking for highly rated schools, established neighborhoods, and convenient access to Eglin Air Force Base.
This weekend’s open houses showcase a variety of homes across the city, from an affordable pool home in the heart of Niceville to a custom lakefront retreat in Bluewater Bay and a Deer Moss Creek home backing to the protected Eglin Preserve.
Whether you’re searching for outdoor living, a newer home with modern finishes, waterfront views, or a neighborhood packed with amenities, these four open houses offer something for a wide range of buyers. If you’re planning to spend part of your weekend house hunting, these homes are well worth adding to your route.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Heat index values as high as 106. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
BUSINESS
Iconic Sea Oats Motel in Destin acquired, to undergo renovations
RREAF Holdings, a privately held real estate investment and development firm based in Dallas, has acquired the Sea Oats Motel, a 46-key beachfront hotel in Destin, the company announced Wednesday.
The property, which first opened in 1964 at 3420 Scenic Highway 98, is located directly on the beach within the Tarpon Beach area. RREAF said the hotel offers direct beachfront access in what it described as one of Florida’s most supply-constrained coastal markets.
The firm said it plans to retain the current on-site team members, many of whom have extensive experience with the property, while transitioning corporate-level property management oversight to RREAF’s in-house hospitality team.
RREAF intends to operate the hotel through the end of the 2026 peak season before temporarily closing the property for a comprehensive renovation. The capital improvement plan includes renovations to all 46 guestrooms and the addition of at least two new keys, increasing the total to 48 rooms.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Thursday! Help us shape the future of local news and make a meaningful impact on your community. Click here to learn how you can support us!
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Jared
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